Interethnic prejudice in children has been studied mostly in the United States, but less often in Europe, where the public discourse is increasingly negative about ethnic minorities, especially the... Show moreInterethnic prejudice in children has been studied mostly in the United States, but less often in Europe, where the public discourse is increasingly negative about ethnic minorities, especially the Muslim minority. This study examined in-group favoritism (White preference) and out-group rejection of children of Middle Eastern descent (representing the Muslim minority) among White children in the Netherlands. Social preference for and rejection of children of Middle Eastern descent are compared with preference for and rejection of Black children. Social preference and rejection were measured using a task in which participants were presented with pictures of children with different ethnic appearances, and asked to select who they wanted to (not) play with, (not) sit next to, and invite for their birthday party. In addition, maternal implicit prejudice against people of Middle Eastern descent and explicit attitudes toward their children’s interethnic contact were assessed. The study included 140 children aged 6 to 8 years (M = 7.26, SD = 0.77) and their mothers. The results reveal both in-group favoritism and out-group rejection. The Middle Eastern out-group was preferred less than the Black out-group. Reporting absolutely no reservations about children’s interethnic contact by mothers was associated with less rejection of children of Middle Eastern descent. Findings reveal that young children already show interethnic prejudice and that particularly people of Middle Eastern descent are devalued. The results show that maternal acceptance of child interethnic contact seems to play a role, and provide starting points for further investigation of the relation between parental and child interethnic attitudes. Show less
This study tries to answer the question of what we can learn from four works by the Egyptian polymath, Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911/1505) about the history of Islamic condemnation of logic and... Show moreThis study tries to answer the question of what we can learn from four works by the Egyptian polymath, Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911/1505) about the history of Islamic condemnation of logic and theology, in addition to the light shed on this subject by modern scholarship. Al-Suyuti's works used in this study are (1) al-Qawl al-Mushriq (QM) (2) Jahd al-Qariha, (3) Sawn al-Mantiq (SM), and (4) his Fatwa against logic. In these works, al-Suyuti invites us to take a fresh look at the much debated issues of the origins and status of theology and logic in Islam. As a staunch defender of the prophetic sunna, he discussed these issues at several stages of his intellectual development. The result was a rich documentation of the history of the opposition to theology and logic in Islam, which deserves to be taken into account fully by modern scholars studying these issues. In his four works, al-Suyuti endeavors to persuade his readers that logic was opposed by 68 prominent scholars. An analysis of the contents of these four works indicates that hostility to logic did become a predominant feature of Sunni traditionalism, especially during the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. A prosopographical study of the opponents of logic mentioned by al-Suyuti shows that logic was condemned by distinguished Sunni scholars in Valencia, Fez, Aleppo, Iraq, and Mecca, and especially also in Egypt and Syria. Thus, the study of a newly-discovered QM manuscript and of al-Suyuti's fatwa confirms the veracity of al-Nashshar's reference, in 1947, to one of al-Suyuti's works discussed here, SM, explaining that al-Suyuti's SM constitutes the most complete encyclopaedia dealing with the (Islamic) criticism of Greek logic. Show less
Civil Society in Comparative Muslim Contexts' is an ambitious series of seminars hosted by the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) in London, with leading scholars exploring issues ranging from... Show moreCivil Society in Comparative Muslim Contexts' is an ambitious series of seminars hosted by the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) in London, with leading scholars exploring issues ranging from human rights and engaged citizenship to the interplay of ethics, law, culture and information technology. The series will culminate in a volume of essays in 2002, aimed at contributing to a vital discourse in and about transitional societies as diverse as Tajikistan, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Morocco, Indonesia and Malaysia. Show less
